Yasuhisa Shiozaki

Japanese politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yasuhisa Shiozaki

Yasuhisa Shiozaki (塩崎 恭久, Shiozaki Yasuhisa, b. November 7, 1950) is a Japanese politician who served as Chief Cabinet Secretary to Prime Minister Shinzō Abe until August 2007.

Quick Facts Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prime Minister ...
Yasuhisa Shiozaki
塩崎 恭久
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Official portrait, 2014
Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
In office
3 September 2014  3 August 2017
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byNorihisa Tamura
Succeeded byKatsunobu Katō
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office
26 September 2006  27 August 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byShinzo Abe
Succeeded byKaoru Yosano
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
25 June 2000  14 October 2021
Preceded byKatsutsugu Sekiya
Succeeded byAkihisa Shiozaki
ConstituencyEhime 1st
In office
18 July 1993  6 July 1995
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyFormer Ehime 1st
Member of the House of Councillors
In office
23 July 1995  11 May 2000
Preceded byOasmu Ikeda
Succeeded byKatsutsugu Sekiya
ConstituencyEhime at-large
Personal details
Born (1950-11-07) 7 November 1950 (age 74)
Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
ChildrenAkihisa Shiozaki
Alma materUniversity of Tokyo
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
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Early career

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Shiozaki with Michael Howard, William Hague, Hirotsugu Aida and Tim Hitchens in 2013

Born in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, he was an AFS exchange student in high school, graduated with a liberal arts degree from the University of Tokyo and attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[1] He spent three years working at the Economic Planning Agency (of which his father, Jun Shiozaki, was then director)[citation needed] and at the Bank of Japan.[2] He then worked as a secretary to his father.

National Diet

Following his father's resignation, he ran for the Diet in 1993 and was elected to represent the first district of Ehime. He served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 2005 cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi and was appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary on September 26, 2006,[3] and held the position until a cabinet shuffle at the end of August 2007.[4]

His appointment as Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare in the second Abe administration was announced on September 3, 2014.[5]

Shiozaki's profile on the LDP website:[6]

  • Bank of Japan
  • Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance (Hashimoto Cabinet)
  • Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (Koizumi Cabinet)
  • Chief Cabinet Secretary (Abe Cabinet)
  • Minister of State for Abduction issue (AbeCabinet)
  • Acting Chairman, Policy Research Council

Political positions

Summarize
Perspective

Like most member of Shinzo Abe's Cabinet, Shiozaki is affiliated to the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi.[7] He also is a member of the following right-wing group at the Diet:

  • Japan Rebirth (創生「日本」 Sōsei Nippon)
  • Nippon Kaigi Diet discussion group (日本会議国会議員懇談会 Nippon kaigi kokkai giin kondankai)
  • Conference of parliamentarians on the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会) - NB: SAS a.k.a. Sinseiren, Shinto Political League, Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai

Shiozaki gave the following answers to the questionnaire submitted by Mainichi to parliamentarians in 2012:[8]

  • no answer regarding the revision of the Constitution
  • in favor of the right of collective self-defense (revision of Article 9)
  • no answer regarding the reform of the National assembly (unicameral instead of bicameral)
  • in favor of reactivating nuclear power plants
  • against the goal of zero nuclear power by 2030s
  • in favor of the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Okinawa)
  • in favor of evaluating the purchase of Senkaku Islands by the Government
  • in favor of a strong attitude versus China
  • no answer regarding the participation of Japan to the Trans-Pacific Partnership
  • no answer regarding a nuclear-armed Japan
  • no answer regarding the reform of the Imperial Household that would allow women to retain their Imperial status even after marriage

On October 17, 2014, Shiozaki sent an offering ('masakaki) to the controversial Yasukuni shrine.[9]

Honours

In July 2022, he was awarded as Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to UK/Japan relations.[10]

References

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